Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Smooth(er) roads ahead for Sudbury: $9.8M more in gas tax funding:
The federal government is providing an additional $9.8 million in gas tax funding that is being earmarked for road repair in Greater Sudbury. City of Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger says the repairs we've seen on the roads this spring are a temporary solution. "We know the best time to fix problems with our roads is in the summer time, so the dollars we are investing will be much more of a permanent fix," Mayor Bigger said. "I feel we are making progress in that we have every available crew out there fixing the roads right now." Check out the video here to watch the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, François-Philippe Champagne, Sudbury MP Paul Lefebvre, Nickel Belt MP Marc Serre´ and City of Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger fill a pothole on Grey Street on March 28.
Sunshine List: HSN pres Dominic Giroux earned $342K in 2018:
Health Sciences North has almost 4,000 employees and, in 2018, 291 of them made it on to the Sunshine List, the annual list of employees working for the Ontario public service who earn $100,000 or more a year. They include doctors and surgeons, administrators, registered nurses, pharmacists, planners and other employees. Not surprisingly, president and chief executive officer Dominic Giroux had the highest hospital salary, $342,553.96 plus $12,755 in taxable benefits. According to Giroux’s employment contract, which is posted on the hospital’s website at www.hsnsudbury.com, Giroux’s base salary is $320,824. The former Laurentian University president is eligible for a performance bonus of between zero and $48,124 – up to 15 per cent of his base salary — if he achieves pre-determined performance goals established by the board of directors of HSN. It appears that Giroux earned a performance bonus of about $20,000 in 2018, his first full year on the job. Full story can be found here.
Chelmsford man charged with sex assault with weapon:
A 38-year-old Chelmsford man is facing a lengthy list of sexual assault and drug-related charges after a woman called police March 26. The Kirkland Lake OPP say they received a call for assistance from the woman, who was a passenger in a vehicle on Highway 66 in the Kirkland Lake area. Police seized a conductive energy weapon (also known as a taser) and drugs suspected to be methamphetamine and illicit cannabis. The suspect was charged with a number of offences including sexual assault with a weapon, unauthorized possession of a weapon, and possession of a schedule 1 substance - methamphetamine. The accused is scheduled to appear in court in Kirkland Lake May 1.
$22.1M project means a sigh of relief for Sudburians along flood-prone Junction Creek watershed:
Relief. That's how Ward 12 Coun. Jocelyne Landry-Altmann describes the feeling in her ward thanks to a $22.1 million flood mitigation and improvement project that will be undertaken along the Junction Creek watershed. “This will change the way they live,” said Landry-Altmann, whose ward encompasses the Flour Mill, downtown and New Sudbury areas, which are often impacted by flooding. “When they hear there are storms coming, they get ready. People that own properties in the area or who live in the area get ready for the worst.” She said particularly problem-prone streets in her ward include Perreault, Dell and Clinton. François-Philippe Champagne, federal minister of infrastructure and communities, was in Greater Sudbury on Wednesday to announce the province is kicking in about 40 per cent of the project's total, or $8.84 million. The federal funds come from the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund. Get the full story here.
French River man turns himself in at Sudbury OPP:
A 23-year-old French River man is facing impaired driving-related charges after turning himself in at the Sudbury OPP detachment March 23. At around 4:34 a.m. March 23, an intoxicated man entered the detachment and turned himself in after being involved in a collision on Highway 69. The man's car was in a ditch not far from the OPP detachment. He's been charged with operation while impaired, operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration over point 80 and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle. The man was issued a 90-day automatic driver's licence suspect and his vehicle impounded for seven days. He was released from custody on a promise to appear in court April 24.
Federal funds will help Sudbury seniors stay active:
Nickel Belt MP Marc Serré made a stop at the Lockerby Legion Branch 564 on March 28 to make a funding announcement that will have seniors tapping their toes. Serré announced that the legion is receiveing $24,500 for a community-based project that will help seniors stay active and involved in their community. The funding was made possible through the Canadian government's New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) and will fund the "Never Too Late To Dance" project. "We know how much our communities gain when seniors are active and engaged," said Serré. "Projects like this help reduce social isolation and allow everyone to take part in interactive social activities." Full story can be found here.
The Pothole Reporter: See a hole, report a hole with Sudbury.com:
Pothole season is upon us and Sudbury.com has partnered with Fuel Media to create an easy and convenient way for you to report potholes to the City of Greater Sudbury, right from your cellphone. You can find the Pothole Reporter by visiting Pothole.Sudbury.com. There you can upload photos and descriptions of the pothole you found, and the app will produce a report that you can send along to Tom Davies Square. Let's help the city not miss any potholes this year. Check with Sudbury.com every week day to find out what our Pothole Crew is up to. Drive safely out there.
Friday Weather:
A mix of sun and cloud for Friday, but it's not quite feeling like spring yet. Today's high is only expected to hit 2, feeling like -10 with the wind chill this morning. Clear skies into the evening with some increasing cloudiness overnight. Low will hit -6, feeling like -8 with the wind. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
